Even as Kashmir simmers with anger, a war of words has intensified between PDP and BJP leaders for the first time after Mehbooba Mufti took over the reigns of power in March last year. BJP has not only conspired against ally PDP over the recently held elections for the legislative council to win one extra seat in the council in violation of the seat sharing agreement reached between the party but one of the BJP ministers Chander Prakash Ganga has openly asked the government to fire bullets on youth throwing stones on uniformed men and All India BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav has publicly complimented army for tying a youth to an army vehicles as shown on a video that went viral on social networking sites including face book. Though BJP minister Chander Prakash Ganga has regretted over his controversial remark on combating stone pelting youth in Kashmir and claimed that he has been quoted out of context by print and electronic media but the controversy he triggered has already flared up public emotions in Kashmir and trade bodies have announced the meetings and events to be chaired by Ganga holding the portfolio of Industries and Commerce till the time he resigns. What matter is the public outrage of PDP leaders against both Industries Minister Chander Prakash Ganga and All India BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav. Though Madhav has met governor N.N Vohra in Jammu and attended a PDP-BJP meeting as part of a damage control exercise he is pursuing to restore trust and confidence between the leaders of two parties but Madhav himself has triggered a controversy by complimenting army for tying a youth with an army vehicles as shown on video that went viral on social networking sites including facebook and is yet to regret over the remark strongly condemned by senior PDP leader and incumbent Education Minister Altaf Bukhari. Since it not Altaf Bukhari alone who has strongly contested the remark of Ram Madhav but PDP vice-president Sartaj Madni and another top party functionary Peerzada Mansoor Hussain too have joined the chorus over the provocative remark of the incumbent Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga on dealing with protesters in Valley.
As a team of concerned citizens of India led by former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha also a top BJP leader has called for an immediate dialogue with all stake holders in the state , it is for the top BJP leadership commanding and controlling the central government to take immediate measures for political reconciliation in Kashmir.
True it is that widely condemnable statements of the Industries and Commerce Minister Chander Prakash Ganga and All India BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav against the Kashmiri youth would further deepen the crisis of alienation in Kashmir that has already resulted in the total boycott of just concluded Srinagar parliamentary bye elections with Election Commission recording an all time 7% low turnout in Srinagar parliamentary constituency. To restore peace in restive Kashmir valley the political outreach but not the provocations in dealing with the angered youth challenging government forces with stone is the response required for addressing the alienation of youth. As a team of concerned citizens of India led by former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha also a top BJP leader has called for an immediate dialogue with all stake holders in the state , it is for the top BJP leadership commanding and controlling the central government to take immediate measures for political reconciliation in Kashmir.
